[2] Pitchfork called it a "the product of lockdown recording and late-night walks through London as the stay-at-home father of two passed time posting guitar covers on Instagram.

[3] Marc Hogan of Pitchfork called it "as low-key and eccentric as [Kele] he's ever sounded".

[1] The Observer's Damien Morris was more critical opining: "Its self-indulgence fits well with Okereke's fifth solo album.

There are occasional pleasant interludes and codas, particularly during "From a Place of Love" and "The Patriots".

"[5] Jenessa Williams from NME labelled it "Adding interesting new textures to his playbook, it’s perhaps helpful to think of The Waves Pt.1 as a soundtrack to something bigger, the wading out to sea before the full immersive plunge".